by D. R. Perry
His care for animals was miraculous as if he was born to help them. He had no ego at all about it, either. The longer I knew Logan, the more amazing I thought he was.
Tell him then.
The last time my inside voice encouraged me to express feelings like that, it went wrong. The moment passed, as they always had before.
"I would've had a much harder time without you Logan," Bubbe said behind us. "I hope you intend to visit frequently during the school year."
"Maybe I'll be in town." Logan sighed. "If I don't manage to get a scholarship, I'll ask to stay with Elanor. Maybe I can get a GED at the community college."
"Scholarship letters come in July. Have you checked with Mom?" I asked.
"Guess I spaced on the date." Logan shrugged. "I'll talk to her when we've finished."
"Okay." I closed the sanitizer and set the dial, then we washed our hands and headed upstairs.
It was about time for a snack anyway. Bubbe hadn't baked anything that day, and all the treats were upstairs until she went shopping that evening. I opened the cabinet for chips and salsa. Logan knocked on my mother's office. She emerged, closing the door behind her.
"How can I help you?"
"I wondered if my scholarship letter came in from Hawthorn." Logan lifted his hand and scratched the back of his head. "I don't want to be a pain, but my entire next year kind of depends on it."
"Hold on." Mom stepped back into her office.
I glimpsed someone inside but couldn't tell who. My father laughed in the living room at something on television.
"Who's in there?" I asked.
Doris chirped.
"Grace," Logan answered. "What if it's bad news?"
"Oh." I drew a deep breath. "I bet—"
"No, it's okay. You don't have to comfort me ahead of time." He pressed his lips together. "I'll be eighteen next month."
"Can't help it. I care."
He blinked and opened his mouth.
The door opened, and Mom emerged with Grace at her side. My mother raised an eyebrow at the chips. Grace gave them a longing look.
"Snacks for everyone." I grabbed the bag and poured more into the bowl, then pushed it toward them.
Everyone munched chips except for Logan, who rocked back and forth on his toes. When Mom noticed, she immediately brushed the crumbs off her hands.
"Logan and Grace have both received scholarships this year."
"How?" I blinked. "I thought they only gave one."
"What about Dylan?" Logan asked.
"Hawthorn didn't give any scholarships this year, just one work study. Dylan's mother works there now, so he gets tuition, room, and board as her family member."
"Mine's from Byers Beauty." Grace smiled. "I designed a makeup case and won my tuition. Ambersmith Fashions gave me a raise that more than covers my room and board."
"What about me?"
"A trustee's covering your third year."
"A trustee?" Logan blinked. "Not my father."
"No. Your benefactor is Hank Thurston. His offer is contingent, however. You must submit an early admissions application to Providence Paranormal College."
"No way." Logan's eyes widened. "That's my dream school."
"I'll give Mr. Thurston the good news." Mom smiled. "We'll work on your application over the rest of the summer."
"I never heard of a trustee handing out scholarships before." Grace shook her head. "And I've checked just about every scholarship opportunity in extrahuman society."
"Maybe the trustees aren't all like Mr. Fairbanks and—" I censored Logan's dad out of my musings. "And Mrs. Onassis."
"Oh, no." Logan glanced at me. "Sorry, Aliyah."
"Why?"
"PPC was your dream school too."
"I'm still applying." I grinned. "I think I'll make it."
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you." Logan crunched chips. "Dorian has an app—"
The phone in Mom's office rang. She poked her head out and spoke. "Bubbe called. She says your friend's at her office."
We headed down the back stairs.
"Is it okay for me to be there?" Grace asked.
"Should be fine," I said.
We walked up the hall toward the lobby. Lune twitched his whiskers by the door where the stray moon hare slept but ultimately followed Grace. Dorian Spanos stood in the waiting room, signing in with Julia the strix on his shoulder. A married couple older than my parents sat behind him. She stared at nothing while he gazed at Captivating Creatures Weekly without touching it. I wondered if their unusual behavior came from their psychic abilities. They were only here because their magus son loved magical critters.
"Hey, Dorian." Logan waved.
"Hey yourself." He smiled, but less brightly than on the day we met last year.
"Come on back." Bubbe held the door.
Dorian followed her. We trailed behind him. I glanced over my shoulder to see his parents still sitting. Dorian's dad held the unopened magazine, his face wearing a bemused expression, as though reading an article without even flipping the cover over.
We went into the same exam room where Dylan bonded with Gale almost two years before. Bubbe opened the cabinet above the sink and pulled down a plastic container full of black and gold collars.
"Yeah." Dorian nodded. "We’re formalizing a bond here. Plus the school paperwork stuff."
"Oh." Grace blinked. "It's okay that I'm here, right?"
"Sure. I'm glad you guys showed up. Mom and Dad mean well but don't get all this magus stuff."
"Does your dad do psychometry?"
"Yeah. He got a surprise the first time Julia said hello." Dorian grinned. "Said he always wanted to visit northern Italy, but in person, not through his hands."
"All right, let's see how Julia's doing." Bubbe bent her arm while smiling at the strix.
Julia hooted and hopped from Dorian's shoulder to Bubbe's forearm. She shook her feathers, then turned her head around before letting my grandma check her wings and examine her talons.
Julia had a sober personality, unlike Dorian's late familiar Mercy. She'd been ten pounds of mischief in a five-pound bag. The strix had always been stately and dignified. Since Professor Luciano died, she'd grown somber, too.
I watched Dorian sit through the examination, staring at everything and nothing at the same time. I didn't know how he felt. Losing a familiar was inevitable for most magi who bonded with them. Only a handful of magical creatures had comparable lifespans. Ember might even live longer than me.
Logan held Doris while studying Bubbe's examination process. Grace stood by the door, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she stared down at Lune. Being unlikely to endure the same tragedy was no reason to neglect a friend in pain. I crossed the room and sat beside him.
"You okay?" I murmured.
"No." He sighed. "This is nothing nice."
"Can I help?"
"This does help." He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. "Thanks."
Grace elbowed Logan, and they also sat by Dorian through the rest of Julia's physical. When he saw us there his shoulders eased slightly. We hadn't lifted his burden but maybe shared some of the weight.
"She's got a clean bill of health." Julia took off from her forearm and flew to Dorian's shoulder.
"Hello again, old bird." Dorian stroked her head, and she hooted.
"Are you both ready?" Bubbe held an unclasped black and gold bonding collar.
"Yeah." Dorian nodded. Logan peered at Julia, then nodded at Bubbe.
My grandmother handed the chain to Dorian. Purple, white, and gold lit around their hands. Bubbe had channeled her solar magic, and the ice came from Dorian. But what about the purple?
Julia, of course.
"Of course." I slapped my hand over my mouth.
"Inside voice," Grace murmured.
"Shh." Logan put a finger to his lips.
Dorian fastened the collar, and the magic surged again, this time without Bubbe's solar. The purple an
d white brought it all back like a blow to my chest, the same as that night in the locker room. Tears drenched my face.
You're not alone.
Dorian wept too. Julia comforted him by preening his hair. Ember roused from her slumber on my neck, peeping and nuzzling my cheek. The heat of her scales dried my tears, but they kept coming.
Grace is five foot nothing. Somehow she pulled us all into a group hug while murmuring about how we'd get through this. She knew all about grief from losing her parents. I wanted to rely on her experience, but my heart felt like it beat on the outside of my chest, raw and painful.
A few minutes later the teakettle whistled. Bubbe escorted us to the kitchen and poured boiling water over dried leaves. The aroma of tea had a universal and almost magical power.
Dorian sniffled, wiped his nose with the back of his hand, then grimaced and turned to wash them in the sink.
"Where's the Kleenex?" Logan glanced at the empty counter.
Bubbe set a box of tissues beside the tea tray. We blew our noses and dried our tears. Grace stopped crying first, then Logan, then me. Dorian ran out of tears last.
"Sorry." He blew his nose at the sink. "Mom said this was gonna hurt. Didn't want to believe her. But, well."
"Don't apologize for grief," Grace said.
"Thanks, then." Dorian sat down and poured tea. "It would have been worse if you all hadn't been here."
"Do you want to hear some good news?" Logan put sugar in his tea.
"Absotively."
He told Dorian all about the scholarship situation, with Grace adding a few details.
"Awesome." Dorian grinned. "I worried we'd be missing folks next year."
"We won't," Grace said. "Unless a certain situation goes sideways."
"What situation?" Logan blinked.
"Hal's."
Dorian cleared his throat. "Jonah's hearing is tomorrow, and I'm giving a statement. So we're staying at the hotel. Anything fun going on in town tonight?"
"There's a Piercing Whispers show at Dodge Street Café," I offered.
"How do we get there?" Dorian asked.
"We walk." Grace pulled her phone out and tapped out directions. "It's around the corner from Walgreens."
"Cool." Dorian checked his phone after it beeped. "I'll see you there. For now, we've got to check in at the hotel. Thanks again, you guys." He stood.
We left our tea behind and walked him out. His parents waited at the counter holding a check in the exact amount before Bubbe tallied their charge. Being clairvoyant had its perks.
The Dodge Street venue wasn't really a café. It was also a bar. The stage sat between the baristas and the bartenders, enough division for an all-ages gathering place. The bouncer checked our IDs and gave us wristbands at the door.
"This ruins my whole aesthetic." Dorian flicked the strip of neon green plastic.
"Looks cyber-goth to me." Grace snorted. "Neon green goes with black anyway."
"What do you know, K-pop Stan?" He chuckled.
Their banter was good-natured with no hard feelings, which couldn't be said about Dorian and Dylan. They had a sort of truce but still didn't like each other. Not even after last year.
They're jealous of each other. It's untenable.
I imagined why Dorian and Dylan needed to bury the hatchet. I hoped this next year would be easier, all things considered. However, the inside voice might be how my brain interpreted patterns of magic and coincidence. With practically his last breath, Professor Luciano said listen to the magic, even if it's harsh. Ignoring that would dishonor him.
"Is this it?" Logan glanced at empty seats.
"Don't worry," Grace said. "I think your sister's got that covered."
Brianna Collins walked through the door. She held it for an entourage. Brianna was one of Cadence's classmates at Gallows Hill, and she'd brought the entire extramural team, including Bar, Cadence, and Crow. After the last wolf shifter entered, she stayed put. Izzy led Lee, Hal, Faith, and Jacinda inside.
"Oh, that's good," Logan said. "You still need to talk to her about the thing."
"Is this the best time, though?"
"No. But maybe she'll meet you another day."
"What's this about?” Grace watched the door.
"Oh, I wanted some memory psychic help."
She's distracted.
"Cool." Grace stood on her tiptoes, trying to see over Crow's head. "Out of the way, featherbrain."
"Are you talking to me?" Crow narrowed his eyes.
Cadence put her hand on his arm. "Let her through."
Crow stepped aside.
Grace squealed and took off, dashing toward the door where a familiar face showed through the crowd.
Honestly, are you surprised?
"No. It makes sense."
"What?" Logan scratched his head.
"Grace and Azrael." I still hadn't told Logan about the inside voice.
"Is she trying to eat his face?" Logan grimaced. "He should watch his hands." He looked away.
"Found the virgin." Crow rolled his eyes.
"You found two." I glared, making fists. "You got a problem with that?"
Shut that fire off.
I banished the flames around my knuckles, but he'd seen them already.
"Um, no. It's fine, whatever, uh, doesn't float your boat. " He swallowed and edged away.
"Edgelords are so last year. You okay?" I patted Logan's shoulder.
"Yeah. I shouldn't have said that about Grace and Az. It was rude." He sighed. "They're the normal ones."
"I know what you mean." I nodded. "It's awkward for me too, watching public displays of affection."
Logan blinked as his mouth dropped open. For a moment, the muddled sound of several conversations acted like a white noise machine. Our eyes met. Had we ever locked gazes like this?
The first time you met. Last summer. And here you are again.
"Aliyah, are you a—"
"Hey." Izzy waved at us from the line at the coffee counter. "Come on, before they get swamped."
In line, we talked about the show, wondering what they'd play. Noah said they mostly did covers, but Logan mentioned they'd been practicing original stuff the last time he visited Elanor. Drinks in hand, we looked for seats. By that time, the place was packed. Most folks on the bar side were college kids from Salem State.
All mundane.
"I don't care."
"What?" Izzy blinked.
"Inside-outside voice problems again." I let out a nervous laugh.
"Did you want me to bring Jacinda over here?" Logan nodded toward where she stood by the door.
"No, they're about to start. I'll catch her after their set."
Piercing Whispers chose that moment to step onstage. Elanor switched her keyboard on. Dylan slung his Paul Reed Smith over his shoulder. Noah adjusted the mic stand. Arick sat behind the drum set. Some of the college kids snickered, probably because Arick had such a baby face.
"We're Piercing Whispers. Two, three, four." Noah cut the laughter off. Arick kicked off the beat as Dylan popped a riff, starting their first song.
At first, I didn't recognize the melody. That made sense because I'd never been a fan of The Cure. Piercing Whispers changed my mind about the post-punk band. Push had a long, uplifting introduction that showcased the band's teamwork. Logan got up and danced. People on both sides of the Dodge Street Café joined in.
Nobody snickered at Arick after such a strong open. As their set continued, so did the dancing. Even the bartender and baristas rocked out while pouring and brewing.
Their last song was Nine In The Afternoon by Panic! At The Disco. Logan dragged me up to dance with him. We weren't formal like at Hawthorn, but I found myself able to keep up. Somehow, he'd taught me to dance without really trying.
At the end of the set, most everyone cheered. As the crowd quieted, I headed straight toward the door, where Jacinda still stood. As I approached, her eyes widened.
"Hi there, I'm—"
&nb
sp; "Yeah, Aliyah Morgenstern. I know." She blinked. "Why are you here?"
"I recognized you from extramurals. You led the Messing cheer squad, right?"
"Yeah, but what do you want with me?" She leaned against the wall like she wanted to merge with it.
You're scaring her. You know that, right?
My heart didn't feel it, but my mind shouldn't forget that I scared some people.
"Logan says a lot of nice things about you."
"I thought you were classmates." Her shoulders eased a little. "Didn't realize you guys were a thing."
"He's one of my best friends. Anyway, it was nice to meet you. Sorry if I spooked you."
"I'm okay. Talk to you some other time, I guess."
"Yeah, don't be a stranger."
I sat back down at the table I shared with Logan, Izzy, and Lee, shaking my head.
"I told you to let me introduce you." Izzy sighed. "Jacinda's jumpy around strangers to begin with, and you were the tough gal on campus last year."
"I didn't feel tough."
"The rumors say you fought Tempe in a room full of vampires, saved Dorian, and survived a lethal attack." Izzy sighed again. "I know what really happened and still think you're a badass."
"I'll reintroduce you," Logan said.
By that time, Jacinda was nowhere in sight.
I stood outside the courthouse on Federal Street with Noah the next night, along with Dad, Logan, and Dorian with his parents. Because Jonah was a vampire, the Night Court handled this case.
"It's only a hearing." Mr. Spanos said.
"But it's important." Noah sighed. "This is where they decide whether the cases are connected."
"That's not right." I swallowed the urge to conjure fire. "They are. All three of us were there."
"The judge doesn't know that." Mrs. Spanos said. "The bones gave me no sure answer, and my auguries were unclear."
"The truth will out." Dorian nodded. "At least that's what I keep telling myself."
"Hoo." Julia preened his hair.
Our group was the first inside the courthouse's expensive lobby. We walked through the second set of thick wooden doors on the left. The bailiff already stood beside the judge's chambers. The court reporter tapped her device with a wand. I watched raptly. Wand magic was college-level work.